Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, has joined the criticism of last week's winner-takes-all $20 million Stanford Super Series in Antigua, admitting that the experience of watching it on television left him feeling "hollow".

Hitting out: Culture Secretary Andy Burnham thinks cricket fans want to watch games where national pride is at stake not cashPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Simon Hart and Paul Bolton

10:41PM GMT 04 Nov 2008

Speaking at the FT Sport Industry Summit in London on Tuesday, Burnham said sport ceased to have any appeal if the pursuit of money came before playing for national pride.

"The event made me feel slightly uneasy and I felt the occasion was something of a hollow one," he said.

"We all understand the relationship between sport and business but if you get these two things out of their proper equilibrium then it can turn people off at home.

"I just think cricket fans want to watch games where national pride is at stake, not where money is at stake, and that's where I come from."

The Twenty20 series in Antigua has been widely condemned as undignified and vulgar but the England and Wales Cricket Board are locked into a five-year deal with the Texan billionaire, Sir Allen Stanford.

Burnham said: "Andrew Flintoff made some comments that it might help reinvigorate cricket in the West Indies and that is clearly something we would support and that's something in the plus column.

"I just think that sport has integrity when its sporting objectives come first and national pride comes first.

"When those things are seemingly playing second fiddle to money, I don't think that's what makes sport sellable and gives it its appeal. It starts to detract from those things and that worries me."

Troubled cricket bat-company Woodworm, who recently lost two of its highest-profile clients in England captain Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, has been saved.

The Sussex-based firm has been sold to sports equipment company Sports PLC, based at Alvechurch near Birmingham, in a deal believed to be worth £250,000.

Pietersen, who has now signed a new bat deal with Adidas, and Flintoff, who is believed to be in negotiations for a similar deal with Puma, ended their lifetime contracts with Woodworm when the company ran into financial difficulties last month.

Sports PLC hope to retain the services of Australia fast bowler Brett Lee and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and are aiming to sign up two current England internationals to replace Pietersen and Flintoff.

"We are in talks with two England players and I am keen to sign up young players on their way up in the game," said Sports PLC's chief executive Simon Millington.

Woodworm's operations will be transferred to the Midlands and their six Sussex-based staff have been offered the chance to relocate.